Rattray extends championship lead
South Africa's Tyla Rattray is four points clear at the top of the AMA MX championship after the weekend's motocross meeting at Budd's Creek.
Tyla Rattray is not given to boasting or big talk . He has always been known as the type of rider
that does his talking on the track, and with years of GP and AMA racing experience under his belt,
he knows that motocross titles are not handed out in June. When he took hold of the red number plate
identifying him as the series leader at Round 3 of the AMA American motocross championship series a
week ago, he was gracious and modest, reminding the world that the opposition was tough and a lot of
water still had to flow under the bridge before the series was done.
In a private post-race discussion, he went into his season's progress in more depth, and quietly
mentioned that a good number of tracks coming up would play to his strong suits. He relishes
competition on tracks that get rough and choppy, and the more physically demanding the racing
conditions get, the more he thrives. He knows that his pre-season preparations and continuous
punishing physical regime are spot on, and give him the edge when conditions become gruelling.
Budds Creek is as classic a motocross circuit as you are likely to get. It features significant
elevation changes, and makes its rough, choppy way across some of the loveliest natural terrain
imaginable. The pre-race interviews with different riders brought out an interesting common factor
in their evaluation of the track - the track is situated in a "hole" and thus becomes a
humidity trap. The unfit or unprepared need therefore not apply for top results.
Rattray (Monster Kawasaki) qualified in fourth position, and with the sun rising to grill
position, it was time for race one to kick off. The red-plated number 28 slotted into second
position, with team-mate Dean Wilson streaming into the lead. The track was rough and choppy, and
caught out a good many riders, but the Kawasaki cruisers were traversing the terrain as if it were a
parking lot. Broc Tickle had by now snuggled into third spot, and yet again it was an all-green
affair up front. Rattray took the battle to Wilson, but had some problems with back-markers. Wilson
is of course no pushover either, and the South African crossed the line in second spot, a few
seconds behind his team-mate.
After the first heat, Rattray calmly analysed his performance during the post race interview. He
expressed happiness with his second place and lauded his team-mate for the win, and then very
quietly alluded to the fact that a tough second heat was coming up. He did not predict a win. He was
not brash. He was not cocky. But the self-confidence simply oozed out of him, and there was, in the
words of one of the classics, a fierce gleaming in his eye. He knew what cards he had in hand.
When the gates dropped for race two and the red number 28 surged to the front, the opposition
must have uttered a collective sigh of exasperation. When the heat is (literally) on, the track
rougher than a seedy harbour-side neighbourhood, and Tyla Rattray in a determined frame of mind, it
is not a good idea to let him have an early lead. Wilson had some early race problems, and had to
plough his way forward from a position just inside the top 10. Rattray's main opposition would come
in the form of Justin Barcia.
Although Rattray held a comfortable lead at all times, Barcia produced a mid-race surge that brought
his Honda to within two seconds of the leading bike. The South African was riding a measured,
calculated race as his boatloads of experience shone through. He was relentless, and when Barcia
wilted, he hit the afterburner to bolt to a commanding lead, simply pounding the opposition into the
ground.
With Wilson making his way up to third in the final race, Rattray eked out an additional
two-point lead when the day's scores were tallied up. He still has a slender two-point lead over his
team-mate in the championship standings, and the series is certainly not short of excitement for the
fans.
Rattray had hardly broken a sweat when he de-helmeted himself after the race.
"I am happy with how it went today," he said, in a normal tone of voice, as if he had
just ambled over to the fridge. "It was hot and tough out there, but I like these kind of
conditions, and I just timed my race to have an extra kick in hand in the last few laps. It's
Father's Day weekend, so being a daddy myself now, I guess it is as good a present as anything I
could give myself!"
Results
Budds Creek MX Park - Mechanicsville, Maryland
Round 5 of 12
250 Class (Moto Finish)
1. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki (2-1)
2. Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki (1-3)
3. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda (6-2)
4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (5-5)
5. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki (3-9)
6. Gareth Swanepoel, South Africa, Yamaha (9-4)
7. Blake Baggett, Redlands, Calif., Kawasaki (7-7)
8. Kyle Cunningham, Irving, Texas, Yamaha (4-15)
9. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Suzuki (10-10)
10. Nico Izzi, Rochester, N.Y., Honda (8-13)
250 Class Championship Standings
1. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki - 174
2. Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki - 170
3. Blake Baggett, Redlands, Calif., Kawasaki - 144
4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda - 136
5. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda - 116
6. Kyle Cunningham, Irving, Texas, Yamaha - 114
7. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki - 99
8. Gareth Swanepoel, South Africa, Yamaha - 91
9. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Suzuki - 75
10. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda - 72